Event Report from IPMS in Telford, UK #4

Good afternoon to all of our SWS fans.

The IPMS Telford event made a profound impression on the Zoukei-mura team, providing us with an endless amount of motivation. My event report has finally reached its final installment.

Today, I will be showing you the smiles of all of our wonderful fans who were able to purchase SWS items in the event hall. In addition to the models competing in the contests, I will be showing you some magnificent works by IPMS members from all over the world.

And as far as I am able, I will also be showing you some of the very interesting shops that filled the vast event hall.

Oh, and furthermore, I will even be covering our field trip to the Royal Air Force Museum, where we made some unexpected discoveries that caused the entire team a great deal of excitement.

When speaking of the regularly scheduled, annual event known as IPMS Telford, I wonder how many people have arrived at the event site harboring the following hope:

"If I go to the event, maybe I'll be able to get that one kit that I really, really want?!"

And I wonder how many people happened to come across that kit, and the degree of their happiness when they were really able to purchase it!

As a collector myself, I can sympathize with that joy and excitement to a painful degree.

And somehow, this year, Zoukei-mura came all the way from Japan to participate in that event!

And with the Shinden available for fans of Japanese planes, the Ta152 available for fans of German planes, and fans of US planes finally being able to get their hands on a 1/32 Skyraider kit, I'm sure that this year's event was more exciting than usual for the fans of each different kind of airplane.

In front of the Zoukei-mura booth, we were able to see many different faces widen with such joyful smiles.
With loud voices and big smiles abounding, they indicated where their names were written on the reservation slips. To a scale modeler, I'm sure that making such a request equates to a personal moment of ultimate triumph.

Please have a look at the smiles of many of the fans that had the good fortune to be able to purchase the SWS items that they wanted at the event.

We, who were able to give them to you, were also very happy!!
Truly, thank you all so very much for your purchases!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, when speaking of an IPMS regular meeting, one mustn't forget the renowned modeling contests! For they were truly amazing!!
So amazing that perhaps, only those who were there at the event can truly comprehend the degree of it!??

However, I went ahead and took pictures, so as to try and convey even a part of how fantastic it all was. Please enjoy them, and I hope that they foster in you the desire to attend an IPMS event.

There, displayed in a grand exhibit in the the enormous event hall, were astonishingly magnificent works from IPMS clubs hailing from every corner of the UK, as well as from all over Europe.

"Ah~ I wish we had a place like this in Japan, too~!" I sighed over and over, as I observed the exciting proceedings.

"Everyone, wouldn't it be wonderful if an IPMS branch were started in Japan?"

If everyone is so inclined, perhaps we of Zoukei-mura will make that happen!?

And so, I visited the contest area over and over, murmuring of such dreams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were a great many vendor's booths that were so large one could easily assume that entire retail shops had simply moved into the event hall.

Booths specializing in tools, in supplies and materials, in books, in decals, and in aftermarket resin kits in addition to all kinds of plastic model kits, resulting in mountains of merchandise sufficient to induce sighs from any scale modeler.

Moreover, from when the event opened in the morning to just before it closed in the evening, the place was absolutely overflowing with people.

I'm sure that everyone was enjoying themselves utterly to the fullest, so as not to let this once-a-year chance pass them by.

As usual, I too was swept up into everyone's enthusiasm, and found myself purchasing quite a bit. I'm quite pleased, as I found some great souvenirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a long time, there have been several aircraft museums that I have wanted to go to should I ever visit the UK.
One of them was the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford. That's right, because it's possible that that airplane might be there!!
My heart beat faster just at the thought, because if they have that plane, maybe they might also have this one!!

Of course, I knew that my beloved Mitsubishi Ki-46 would be there. Furthermore, I had heard that it was being kept in nearly perfect condition. Just thinking that I would finally be able to see that beautiful, streamlined fuselage with my own eyes made the speed of my steps automatically increase from happiness!

At any rate, no matter where they're located, aircraft museums are always huge and spacious, aren't they~~!!

At last, we were finally admitted into the indoor exhibition hall!
"It's here, it's here, it's here~~~! The Ki-46!!"

Wh-wh-what??????.......??? It's so small!??

As a twin-engine plane, I had always thought it would be rather large, but it was an unexpectedly small aircraft, or rather, it had a very slender physique.

But even so, it possessed a beautiful fuselage line appropriate for a Japanese plane, and was overflowing with atmosphere. Transported all the way here to the distant UK, I'm sure that it will pass its remaining years very quietly. Reflexively, the words of gratitude, "Thank you for all your hard work," welled up from within my heart.

And then, there was also that aircraft!!

That's right, the museum was also supposed to have the "Type 5 Fighter," the Kawasaki Ki-100!! From the Type 1 to the Type 5, the gallant figure of the series that closed the curtain of the Imperial Japanese Army fighter squadrons, finally here before me!!

After hearing that we were to be permitted a special inspection, we all ran to the hangar where it was being kept.

"It's here, it's here, it's heeeere~~~~!! The Type 5~~!!"

Oho~~!! It was indeed there, but as you can see in the photos, it was in pieces!
It seems that the museum is beginning a full-blown restoration, so the wings, fuselage, and other large parts were being displayed separately.
But hang on a sec! That was actually a rather great piece of luck for Zoukei-mura.

That's right. We could see, in person, sections that will never be visible again once the restoration is complete, and we were able to document everything in several precious, perfect photos.

Such a great piece of luck, indeed!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this, the fourth and final part of my "IPMS Telford Event Report" comes to a close. Thank you so much for staying with me to the end.

To the IPMS members who welcomed us event newbies of Zoukei-mura so warmly; Mr. Paul Regan, the President of IPMS UK, Mr. Richard Kent and Mr. Gary Wenko ; to the fans who stood in line early in the morning in order to purchase SWS kits; to Jim; to Mark, who produced our package art; and finally, to the great many people who continue to support the further development of the SWS, thank you ever so very much.

We will continue to do our best, so as to be able to attend this IPMS event next year, bringing with us the aircraft that we are currently conducting an identification quiz for on this very blog!!

Until then, I will send prayers into these distant Japanese skies that you all please stay healthy and continue to fully enjoy a wonderful hobby life.

Truly, I thank each and every one of you so very much.

 

Hideyuki Shigeta
The Old Man of Zoukei-mura

 

If you have any opinions, questions, or requests regarding the SWS, please don't hesitate to let us know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWS#6 "What is the next airplane?" Quiz

Quiz
The Guardian God of the Jet-Black Night Sky
"○○ in the middle of the night. ○○○○○ ○e○○○ ○─○─"

Now, fill out the katakana, kanji and alphabetic letters in the ○ spaces to guess perfectly which airplane SWS #6 is. We will give away brand-new SWS #6 kit sets as a prize to three people out of those who get the correct answer.

Deadline
Until the end of January 2012
Winner Announcement
Winners will be announced here on the Zoukei-Mura Web Site.
Prize Presentation
As their prize, the winners will receive kits before anyone else.
How to Submit Your Answer
*In addition to regular mail submissions, like last time, this time you can submit your answer by an exclusive e-mail address, to allow for submissions from as many fans as possible.
[How to Submit by Regular Mail]
Please send Kansei-Hagaki (Japan Post's pre-paid postcard) to the VOLKS Headquarters, making sure to include your name and address as well.

Address:
Attn. VOLKS, Inc SWS #6 "What is the next airplane?" Quiz Team 60 Goshonouchi Nakamachi Shichi-jo, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8862
[How to Submit by E-mail]
Please send an email to the address below, making sure include your name and address as well.

Email: sws_quiz@zoukeimura.co.jp
Title: Submission to SWS #6 "What is the next airplane?" Quiz

*This email address is exclusively for this quiz.

We are looking forward to receiving a lot of entries from you.

 


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